How To Help The Dog During Childbirth

It is exciting to witness the miracle of life, regardless of whether it concerns a person or an animal. In the event that there is also an emotional bond with the future mother, the joy is even greater. The birth of your dog is one of the most beautiful moments you can witness.

We give you some tips so that you can not only be spectators, but also be able to assist her and experience this beautiful emotion with her.

How to tell when the bitch is about to give birth

Bitches behave very differently from women when they are about to give birth, so don’t expect too much hustle and bustle around the event.

This behavior could give us some doubts about the time of delivery of our bitch. Here are some signs that indicate the approach of the happy event.

• Dig into the ground. While not all of them behave in the same way, this is a fairly common behavior in almost all bitches; digging in the ground allows them to get a warm and welcoming place to put all the puppies without fear of them running away.
• Leaking of milk from the breasts. When the animal is about to give birth, milk leaking from the udder is very common. It indicates, therefore, that the bitch is ready to give birth to her young.
• Loss of appetite. As the birth approaches, the puppies move a lot in the belly, causing nausea in the mother, who often loses her appetite.

• Vomiting. Another symptom caused by the movement of puppies. No need to worry, just let her rest and pamper her so she doesn’t feel alone.
• Relaxed attitude. When the dog feels ready to give birth, she will relax, be very quiet and it is possible that she will take a series of deep breaths. Keep water nearby – keeping it hydrated is very important right now.

How to assist your dog during childbirth

You have identified all the signs that show the imminent arrival of the puppies. Time to help her out. How?

• Set up a quiet corner for her. A few weeks before, start setting up an intimate and pleasant corner where the dog can rest easy. If you have other pets in the house, make sure they cannot access them. Show her the place and when you notice the symptoms we have described, take her there.

• During labor, only intervene if necessary. The mother ejects the cubs, don’t worry if they come out with the tail or the head, both positions are normal. The mother will lick off the placenta and sever the umbilical cord with her teeth.

When is your intervention necessary?

• If for any reason the mother is unable to break the amniotic sac that surrounds each puppy, action is needed. Break it up gently and immediately put the puppy back next to the mother.
• Another time you can help is when the mother is willing to lick the puppies to clean them of the placenta. If they are numerous, you can collaborate by rubbing the little ones with a very soft and slightly damp cloth.

• The puppies are born approximately 30 minutes apart. If after this time nothing happens, but you are sure there are other puppies left inside, call your vet. Do this even in case the bitch has expelled all the puppies but continues to have contractions.
• Watch the puppies. A puppy dying within minutes or hours of giving birth is a fairly common occurrence. In this case, the mother can do little to help him. If you notice that one of the puppies is no longer breathing, clean his face and rub his body gently to see if he recovers. If the puppy is dead, move it away from the rest of the litter, so that the mother does not eat it or that the other puppies come to smell it.

At the end of the birth, check that the bitch does not exclude any of the babies and feed them all equally. Continue to provide the new mom with nutritious food to keep her strong and so she can take good care of her puppies.